The Pink Sox finalized their three-year cope with Alex Bregman over the weekend. Whereas it’s usually anticipated that Bregman will transfer to second base in his new house, skipper Alex Cora was noncommittal about their infield on Saturday.
Rafael Devers’ camp has made clear all offseason that the Sox’s longtime third baseman has little interest in a place change. Devers forcefully said as a lot when chatting with the Boston beat Monday.
“No. I play third,” he stated via an interpreter when requested about his willingness to maneuver off the place (hyperlink through Chris Cotillo of MassLive). “It’s my resolution … My place is third base. No matter it’s they need to do is what they need to do. However my place is third base.”
Cora once more reiterated that the Pink Sox haven’t made any selections.
“He’s going to work out because the third baseman. And we’re going to make selections accordingly. Right here, it’s not about Bregman or Devers or Cora,” the supervisor stated. “It’s for the Boston Pink Sox. No matter resolution we make goes to be for the advantage of the crew.”
Apparently, Cora acknowledged that the Pink Sox promised Devers that he’d be their long-term third baseman on the time the edges agreed on a 10-year extension in January 2023. That settlement got here underneath a earlier front-office regime, as then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was fired eight months later. Craig Breslow is now operating baseball operations. Cora downplayed the importance of that promise in consequence, saying it was underneath “completely different management. That was underneath Chaim” (relayed by Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). After all, Cora was the supervisor on the time of the extension, so there hasn’t been a management change within the clubhouse.
Devers was requested whether or not he’d search a commerce if the Pink Sox pressured him to maneuver off third base. He didn’t rule that out however stated it hasn’t been a spotlight.
“That’s a troublesome reply to provide. I haven’t given it a lot thought. I’ve been right here my whole profession,” he stated (through McCaffrey). “I haven’t requested myself that query. I’m open to listening. I’m not near these conversations.”
Probably the most simple resolution remains to be to maintain Devers at third base and transfer Bregman to second. That’d block the clearest path to enjoying time for high prospect Kristian Campbell, who mixed for a .330/.439/.558 slash in an unimaginable first full minor-league season. Campbell had a roughly even share of enjoying time at every of second base, shortstop and in heart area. He additionally picked up just a few begins at third base.
Whereas Boston might have Campbell open the season in Triple-A Worcester, it ought to have the ability to discover methods to get him into the lineup if it feels he’s prepared for an MLB name. If the Sox most well-liked to maintain him at one place as a rookie, second base was the apparent alternative earlier than the Bregman signing. Except they power Devers’ hand by pushing him to DH, they’d want to make use of Campbell in additional of a utility function (at the least till somebody will get injured).
Campbell is flexible sufficient to bounce round whereas nonetheless enjoying commonly. He might spell Trevor Story at shortstop whereas rotating via the outfield. He’s unlikely to be pretty much as good a defensive heart fielder as Ceddanne Rafaela, however he’d deliver the next offensive ceiling. Campbell’s right-handed bat might complement the lefty-swinging nook outfield tandem of Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, in addition to lefty-hitting DH Masataka Yoshida. Duran will play nearly daily whatever the opposing pitchers’ handedness. The Sox might use Abreu and/or Yoshida in additional of a platoon capability.
There’d be a defensive tradeoff. Devers has graded as a below-average defender in primarily each season of his profession. Defensive Runs Saved had him 9 runs under par final yr, whereas Statcast graded him at 5 runs under common. Bregman rated 5-6 runs above common by these metrics and is coming off his first Gold Glove win. Bregman shouldn’t have a lot subject transferring to second base. He’s a very good athlete who possible would have spent most of his profession within the center infield had he not damaged into an Astros crew that had Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve. Nonetheless, there’d be a stronger defensive alignment with Bregman at third and certainly one of Campbell or David Hamilton at second base.
For the Sox, the query is whether or not that’s price alienating a participant they’ve considered as one of many faces of the franchise. Devers is signed via age 36. His defensive grades aren’t possible to enhance as he approaches his 30s. Sooner or later, the Sox are more likely to push him off the place. Story and Bregman are every signed for 3 extra seasons. They will each decide out after this yr, although that appears unlikely for Story and at the least debatable for Bregman (who’d be leaving a $40M common annual worth on the desk).
Even when they’re comfy utilizing Campbell in a utility function for a season, they’ll in all probability need an on a regular basis infield place accessible for him and high shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer by subsequent yr. This needs to be workable within the quick time period however might pose some fascinating questions earlier than lengthy.
